Gifted a Cast-iron RCBS ingot mould-Rusty

[JWFilips]

Got a nice RCBS cast iron ingot mould from a friend but it had some built up rust inside.
Painted it with navel jelly scrubbed and washed it a few times but the heavy rust is still there even after a wire brush!
Can it be heated up with a torch to burn off the rust oxidation whit out wrecking it?

 

[Rick H]

Let it be, the rust just makes it non stick. I have a cast iron muffin tin that I use for ingots, it sets in the garage rusting but casts beautiful lead muffins.

 

[Brad]

Biggest issue I have with really rusty I got moulds is that they tend to hold some moisture. Mostly an issue when temps drop.
Would Evaporust work? That would be my suggestion.

 

[CZ93X62]

One of the great joys of living in a desert environment is its relative absence of humidity and moisture. Rust seldom rears its head here. Now, dust and grit? We have that by the truckload.

 

[Rick]

Naval Jelly is your friend.

 

[JWFilips]

OK ,
2 x Navel Jelly and scrub and rinse
Heated the whole mold near red with torch & as it was cooling sprayed it with Kroil
When cool used a stainless brush on it and Clean it up with lacquer thinner.
It still has rust but not in big flakey chunks...Just an nice even patina

 

[358156 hp]

Or you could have it glass bead or sand blasted.

That'll learn it!

 

[JWFilips]

IF I has it I would use it!

 

[Mitty38]

If you still are not happy.
Put it in a bucket full of baking soda water. Attach the ground of a battery charger (on trickle) to it, fasten the positive to something else steel.
Put that down in the bucket on the other side. It will remove the rust on the side facing it, rotate till all sides are done. Takes about an hr per side. Then scrub with soap and hot water.

 

[dale2242]

Evapo Rust is your friend.
It works wonders on rusty molds.
Just remember, when you remove rust it leaves pits, no matter how small.
Leave it soak a while .

 

[Walks]

Evapo Rust has worked well for me.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

One of the great joys of living in a desert environment is its relative absence of humidity and moisture. Rust seldom rears its head here. Now, dust and grit? We have that by the truckload.

Come to the mid-Atlantic region and you can watch ferrous metal rust.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

OK ,
2 x Navel Jelly and scrub and rinse
Heated the whole mold near red with torch & as it was cooling sprayed it with Kroil
When cool used a stainless brush on it and Clean it up with lacquer thinner.
It still has rust but not in big flakey chunks...Just an nice even patina

If the rust isn't flaking off, I would take that nice patina as a sign of quality and use it as is.

 

[blackthorn]

I picked up a small cast "witches'" pot at the flea market a couple of years ago. It looks as if it will hold about 15 pounds of lead. It may well be an old Lyman lead pot??? It had obviously been sitting out in the weather for a looong time. It had thick rust caked all over it. I put it in a bucket, covered it (plus a couple of inches) with warm water to which I added a couple of tablespoons of Citric Acid. It sat for a week, as the days passed i could look down into the bucket and see the rust coming off. The bail handle was left sticking upward and the rust hung off it like Spanish moss off a tree. At the end of the week there was no rust left! I have used the citric acid solution on rusty moulds as well it will remove the rust along with any residual bluing.

 

[Mitty38]

Have to wipe my lee press down with Rem oil after every use, or it rusts, and it is sitting in my living room. Keep a desiccant tub in my gun cabinet.
Course I am living next to a creek ion the edge of a national forest, in a watershed area, Close to Ohio River In the foothills of the northern Appalachia.
Moss grows on everything around here.
I swear I fell asleep hunting once and Moss grew on the north side of me. LOL